Liberal Studies Tutorial 390

Self-Submission

This tutorial with Graham Cook (PhD, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, School of Social Sciences) aimed to explore the history of travel journalism, compare changes in practices, technologies, audiences and purposes, as well as understand relevant debates and existing research. The resulting literary review ending up considering three different aspects of how social media has affected travel journalism and divided it into (1) powershifts and new modes, (2) user generated content, and (3) the online environment and lived experience. Readings and reflections on the material were chosen based on compounding interest and inspired a real interest in a topic that was much deeper than I expected it to be. In fact, my initial understanding of this topic was completely different then where my studies taught me. An unanticipated outcome of this tutorial was: coming to recognize and articulate the diversity of human experience, including ethnicity, race, language, sex, gender, as well as political, economic, social, and cultural structures over time and space.

               Going into this topic I was not aware of social media has contributed to a paradigm shift of the genre of journalism and how much the blind ‘othering’ in travel journalism has contributed to the continuation of these social identities. This being the direction of my review was explored but not in its entirety. I began to realized that this one credit tutorial could be a full course in itself and I will continue to be interested and expand my knowledge in the subject of travel writing.   

The research methods of the literary review are a great way to understand the breadth of a topic. Studying this skill in a one on one fashion is constructive and helpful towards mastering it. My future grad project will be a series of literary reviews so the skills of reflection, acquiring knowledge and applying that knowledge in an academic fashion gained in this tutorial are highly relevant and a sustainable way to produce research.